Sunday, July 31, 2011

From Adventures of Superman 584. Lucy is getting married so her and Lois have crashed her hubby-to-be's stag do.

I know, this isn't really silly, well Clark's face is, but it's certainly an amusing thought. Neither Lois or Lucy get to have this much nowadays, and lets' face it, I'd love to have them two pop out of a cake to me. the poses and heavily pregnant Lucy just makes it all the more fun and frivolous.

I'm not sure if this series will continue past this post as I have run of 'silly' scans. I will probably post more as and when I come across them. Meanwhile, Wonder Woman Wednesday is going strong!

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Today is Lughnasa. It is a harvest festival and dedicated to the sun god Lugh. Ever seen the film Dancing at Lughnasa? That’s set around this time.

I don’t grow my own food, I barely garden. The boyfriend gardens a bit, and we tend to have lots of flowering plants (for the bees, everyone loves bees), but we have given up growing our own veg. After a couple of years where we were overrun with tomatoes and the courgettes turned into marrows we gave up and now I just buy all our veg. I try to buy stuff that’s in season, and that’s been grown in this country, in winter that gets a bit harder and we end up eating a lot of cabbage and cauliflower. Since about May more UK grown stuff is available, which makes me a bit confused. As I’m not exactly au fait with the crop cycle I have no idea what’s meant to be in season now that wasn’t in season a month ago. There’s been loads of UK grown fruit around f’rinstance.

Anyway, that’s not going to stop me acknowledging today. I shall be baking a cake (lemon and poppy seed since you ask), but not doing a fancy meal. There must be something about this time of year because last year I completely missed Lughnasa and this year I’ve been struggling to find appropriate decorations. Hence why my only real effort will be in baking a cake (type of cake determined by the boyfriend’s request). We are also going out to a friend’s housewarming in the evening, which I think is a nice way to spend a harvest festival – thinking along the lines of gaining fruits for your efforts, abundance etc. It’s a sort of loose farming analogy. Very loose. Anyway it’ll be a celebration, and a good way to relax after a week where it seems that loads of people I know have ended up in hospital, with things of varying degrees of seriousness. Gah.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Larry Newman was assessed by an Atos staff member and awarded zero points. To qualify for sickness benefit he needed 15. He died from lung problems soon after

Larry Newman attended a work capability assessment in March 2010, when a degenerative lung condition made it impossible for him to go on working in the wood veneer showroom where he had spent much of his career. His weight had dropped from 10 to seven stone, and he had trouble breathing and walking.

The Atos staff member who carried out the medical test awarded him zero points. To qualify for employment and support allowance, the new sickness benefit, he needed to score 15 points, and in July he received a letter from jobcentre officials stating that he was not eligible for the benefit (worth around £95 a week) and would be fit to return to work within three months.

He was devastated by the decision, and dismayed to note a number of inaccuracies in the report that accompanied the letter. He decided to appeal against the decision, but before three months was up he died from his lung problems.

His widow, Sylvia Newman, recalls that one of the last things he said to her, as doctors put him on a ventilator, was: "It's a good job I'm fit for work." He was trying to make her laugh, she says, but it was also a reflection of how upset he had been by the conclusion of the medical test.

"He was so hurt by it. It made him so upset that they thought he was lying, and he wasn't," she says. "I think it added to him just giving up."

Mrs Newman has lodged an official complaint, with the help of Citizens Advice staff, highlighting 12 inconsistencies in the report by the Atos assesser. It said her husband had been unaccompanied. "I was with him, although in his medical report they claimed that I was in the waiting room," she says. The report says that Mr Newman's pulse was fine, that he had no scars on his chest and that he managed to climb on to the examination bed without any problem. Mrs Newman says that her husband did not get on to the examination bed, that his pulse was not taken, and that the assesser did not look at his chest, otherwise he would have seen scars.

"He never touched Larry, he never took his pulse.There were endless inaccuracies," she added, describing the report as "make-believe".

They were both dismayed by the assesser's casual attitude. "At one stage, he took a phone call. We were trying not to listen, but it seemed to be a personal call," she says. "It went on for a few minutes. It wasn't very professional."

Although they had given written permission for Atos to seek written medical reports from Mr Newman's hospital consultant, who had diagnosed extrinsic allergic alveolitis, the assesser said that he didn't have a copy of his records or the questionnaire that he had filled in when he applied for the benefit.

"They could have just got a report from the hospital to see how sick he was. It seemed a pointless exercise," Mrs Newman says, profoundly distressed as she recounts what happened.

She is angry at the treatment she and her husband received from Atos staff.

"They are charging the government a lot of money for these assessments, and I know that other very sick people have been treated as Larry was. I promised him I would pursue it. It wasn't a fortune, and we were struggling to survive. It wasn't anything he wasn't entitled to."
An Atos official said: "We are sorry to hear that Mr Newman has died. We cannot comment on individual cases. We do expect the highest standards from our staff. All complaints are taken very seriously and thoroughly investigated."

Saturday, July 23, 2011

"We've made Superman such an iconic figure over the years that we've lost some of the character and the ability to tell stories with that character," said Dan DiDio, co-publisher at DC. "There's so much continuity that's been built on this character. We really wanted to get a Superman that is more accessible to the audience."

(emphasis notintheface's)
Words fail me. I mean what the fuck? DC seriously think that an iconic character is not accessible? Do they not know what iconic means? Do they not see the thousands of people wearing S shields on their jumpers, vest and t-shirts, with the key rings? If they think the story is too continuity heavy you remove the minor stories, - the 1000 yr war on another dimension. The insect queen. World of New Krypton. A fortress in the Amazon. You remove the minor characters, not the main ones. Not Lois, his parents and his humanity.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Namely, forging ahead with their plans for privatising the NHS. The following is crossposted from here:

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The government will open up more than £1bn of NHS services to competition from private companies and charities, the health secretary announced on Tuesday, increasing fears that it will inevitably lead to the "privatisation of the health service".

In the first wave, beginning next April, eight NHS areas – including musculoskeletal services for back pain, adult hearing services in the community, wheelchair services for children and primary care psychological therapies for adults – will be open for "competition on quality not price".

If successful, the policy, known as "any qualified provider", would see non-NHS bodies allowed from 2013 to deliver more complicated clinical services in maternity and "home chemotherapy".Andrew Lansley – admitting that the government's initial plans for competition in the NHS were too ambitious, and stung by criticism from Steve Field, the senior doctor called in by David Cameron to review the reforms, that the proposals were "unworkable" – has slowed down the rollout of competition.
The health secretary said his plans would now "enable patients to choose [providers] ... where this will lead to better care".

Labour questioned the policy, which the shadow health secretary John Healey said was "not about giving more control to patients, but setting up a full-scale market."

His colleague Emily Thornberry, the party's health spokeswoman, added that "today is a good day to announce the policy because everyone is preoccupied with telephone hacking. (They) hope no one will notice it". This theme was picked up on Twitter with a stream of comments about "it being a good day to bury bad news".

Critics warned of "huge dangers lurking in the plans". The trade union Unison said that "patients will be little more than consumers, as the NHS becomes a market-driven service, with profits first and patients second. And they could be left without the services they need as forward planning in the NHS becomes impossible."

A spokesman for the British Medical Association questioned "the assumption that increasing competition will always mean improving choice. The ultimate consequence of market failure in the NHS is the closure of services, restricting the choice of patients who would have wished to use them."

The Department of Health dismissed these charges and argued the policy would benefit patients by bringing many services out of hospitals, which would make it easier to access healthcare. As an example the policy could lead to patients being able to walk into a retailer on the high street or local GP's surgery for a blood test rather than being forced to go to hospital.

One of the new policy's aims is to promote innovation, highlighting the "Tony Blair example". Abnormal heart rhythms, such as those suffered by Tony Blair, no longer need the immediate attention of a cardiologist. Instead, a concerned patient could today be treated by using the telephone to measure the heart beats and give an instant diagnosis, followed by a call from a nurse advising on whether the patient needed to go to hospital or not.

He said the former prime minister's abnormal heart rhythms could today be treated by using the telephone to measure the heartbeats and give an instant diagnosis, followed by a call from a nurse advising on whether the patient needed to go to hospital or not. "You could cut dramatically the number of hospital admissions like this."

There were also major savings that could be made. The department cited the example of chronic leg wounds, where the NHS pays out £18,000 per patient over four years, often without curing them.
One not-for-profit company – Wound Healing Centre in Sussex – manages to treat patients successfully for £720.

Lansley's commissioning tsar, Dame Barbara Hakin, said the NHS must push ahead with the agenda to offer patients more choice despite the financial challenges and the period of "significant transition". The NHS must save £20bn over the next four years in efficiencies.

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Screw you David Cameron. I don't know how you sleep at night, you insipid, cowardly, greedy bastard.

Monday, July 18, 2011

The F Word is the UK's most prominent feminist website and they are gonna start reviewing comics. Here's their shout out for reviewers:

The F-Word Reviews section continues to expand, and this time we are branching off into the wanton wilds of comics, graphic novels and manga. A territory traditionally considered hostile to women generally, and downright dangerous for feminists in particular, we aim to conquer it heights, scale its lows, delve into its plateaus and let it be generally known that women read comics, love comics, and have opinions about comics!

We want, in short, to create a space for both long time fans and tentative toe-dippers to come and get feminist-friendly reviews of comics and graphic novels. The planned remit is more or less all inclusive: anything from classic graphic fiction like Art Spiegelman’s Maus, to the latest superhero comics from DC and Marvel, via the Modern Age of Comic Books - those instant classics by Carey, Gayman and Moore from the 1990s - to non-Anglosphere works from the Japanese and French traditions is welcome.
We'd also love to reviews of and reports from fandom events, conventions, comic meets, and any comic-relevant subcultural happenings going. The culture around comics and graphic art is one of the best things about the genre, and it would be fantastic to give some of our non-fandom initiated feminist sisters a glimpse into this fascinating, fun world.

So if you read comics, or even just the occasional comic, and have something to say about them: we’d love to hear from you! Contact me at marinas[at]thefword.org.uk with any questions or with a short piece (700-1000 words would be ideal) that you’d like to be published on the reviews site. Or leave a comment below with your details and I will get in touch.

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Talking of reviews, if anybody wants to review for my other site New readers please let me know!

Saturday, July 16, 2011

I watched it. I liked it. I got the impression that it was panned, but I don't get why. OK, comic fans might hate it cos it doesn't follow canon, but as a film it works ok. It's a good bit of fluff for a Sunday afternoon.

Hugh Jackman makes a good (hot) Wolverine. I was pretty surprised by Scott Summers not being ridiculously annoying, and actually displaying some balls (not literally). Emma Frost was also pretty good. Gambit was annoying and rather moody, but I expected that. Deadpool was barely in it, but I was gratified to see that Ryan Reynolds wasn't playing Hal for Deadpool. It was a good superhero movie. Lots of powers, lots of fight scenes, lots of angsty romantic bits and basically pretty much all I want from a superhero movie. Still, I was a bit puzzled to see Ma and Pa Kent turn up halfway through.. Did Stan Lee get a cameo in this one? I didn't notice.

Now tell me, is this movie still canon in the X-Men franchise and if so, how does that X-Men First Class movie fit into movie canon?

Thursday, July 14, 2011

I started reading comics when I was pretty young - about 6 or 7 I guess. I'd seen the Thundercats cartoon on the telly and was enthralled. Next to She-Ra, it was probably the most exciting thing I'd ever seen.

I must have been very observant about when the comics came out, (or their advertising must have been really strong) because I got them from issue one. And I fell in love. I mean, I really adored these comics. And not only did I have a Thundercats story to look forward to every 2 weeks (yes, they came out bi-weekly, how lucky was I?), there was this other unrelated, story called Power Pack in the back. I had never heard of these. But my gods, this story was nearly as exciting as the Thundercats one! It was about 2 brothers and sisters who had been given powers by an alien race that resembled horses (I also loved horses so this was even cooler), and had to fight evil green lizardy aliens, amongst other things.

I stopped buying the comics when I was about 9 or 10 (they'd got pretty shit by then) and then when we moved house my folks threw them out. I have never forgiven them. So I bought them all off ebay (mwa ha ha ha ha ha!) and they are still good! Would you believe it? There are two panels that I remembered, all through my 15 year life without the comics, which is pretty impressive because I remember fuck all form being young.

One was of Cheetara using her staff to pole vault from one part of her garden to another - giant moles were destroying her garden. The other was a Power Pack one where some other kids (2 of them) were on a sled in a New York park. It was winter and they were heading onto the frozen river, (there was some problem with steering) and were unwittingly going to their death, as the ice wasn't as solid there as it should have been. The girl on the sled was Alex Power's love interest so he was panicking and had to use his and his siblings' powers to save the girl and her male (love rival) friend.

These panels stuck with me for so long. As far as I was concerned they were the best things I'd ever seen or read. The worlds of the Thundercats and Power Pack were the most imaginative, rich, textured worlds I'd ever come across.

Then I got older and turned to DC. But I still have a special place in my heart for each of these series, and I occasionally pull out the comics and re-read them. I will pass them on to various kids when my family and friends' sprogs get old enough.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

@Mothee from twitter recently asked me "From a female's perspective, what are some qualities you'd like to see in a female hero?" So, here we go, this is likely to be a loooong list:

I want the characters to be people first and women second – if you think ‘what would a woman do’ I think you’re heading down the wrong path. If you think, ‘what would this character do’ you’re more likely to get a decent story.

Let them win fights.

Don't ever make them a rape victim. Or a sexual assualt victim. Just don't. If you must have them encounter rapists and sexual assaults,have them defeat the rapist, by wit or violence, dependent on their personality type and skills. Don't put any other women at risk and never, ever have them feel threatened by the attacker.

Have them be funny. Or serious. Or cocky. Or shy. Or friendly. Or bad tempered. Or a 'hit before they think' type. Or a thinker. Whatever you decide that their perosnality is.

Give them a fully fleshed out backstory.

Give them a supporting cast. With female friends.

Give them a love interest, if that's where the story takes them, but have their primary role be to engage in superheroics. What I really mean is, don't let the story get bogged down in the romance.

Monday, July 11, 2011

The whole point of this arc is that Harley knows exactly what buttons to push to get the reaction she needs. She knows people's inner truths and she knows how to present them in the most hurtful manner. So when in the last panel she says to Ivy "Is it because you loves me?" you know she's telling the truth, Harley does love her.

As far as I'm concerned that's incontrovertible proof that Ivy likes women, making her lesbian or bisexual.

Saturday, July 09, 2011

@kapellusch drew it for me :) Neat huh? He was doing a day of free sketches, so I requested a Dinah/Kara piece. I like it a lot. :) I like the positioning, the sky, the point of view and the thickness of Dinah's hips and legs. Martial artists shouldn't be skinny little things, Dinah's got power y'know?. You can view other pieces here and here and here.

Thursday, July 07, 2011

Welcome to your ASN eBulletin. June has been almost as busy as May was. We found out that we are losing two members of our phone team, heard from twenty three women seeking assistance, looked at ways to get more people involved with ASN, began planning for next year’s annual report and sent two delegates to the NNAF conference – where we won an award! All exciting stuff. Read on!

ASN Phone Coordinator – Urgently Needed

Want to have a film screening in October?

Get involved

A few words from you

Pro Choice Rally 9 July

Women we’ve helped

ASN at NNAF

Wanted: ASN Phone Coordinator

The phone is the link between women in difficult circumstances and the funding and information that can help them. Do you live in London and have a cool head, a calm phone manner and the ability to return phone calls and emails within 24 hours? You might make an excellent ASN phone coordinator. Phoners take the phone for one week every four to five weeks and are trained and supported throughout their shifts.

ASN just found out that we will be losing TWO of our phone team this month. One is having a baby and will be back in a few months, and the other is starting a job where she will be unable to take or return calls.

If we do not find at least one new phone coordinator before August, ASN may have to change the level of service we are able to give women.

One of our departing phoners had this to say:

It's hard to put into words why I love being a 'phoner' but I'll try...I really enjoy being able to help women practically through something that can be quite difficult, confusing, emotional, frustrating, and a multitude of other things. I also find it extremely fulfilling to be a part of the process in allowing women access their reproductive rights. I'm going to miss the experience a lot!

If you are interested in more information about being a phone coordinator, please email us.

Want to have a film screening in October?

The fabulous Sarah Diehl is returning to England with her film, Abortion Democracy: Poland South Africa. She will be attending a screening/ASN fundraiser in Newcastle 20 October and is looking for other venues to show between Newcastle and London between 20 Oct and 25 Oct. If you live in the UK and are interested in organising a screening of Abortion Democracy: Poland South Africa, get in touch!

Get involved

As a volunteer-run organisation, ASN counts on its wonderful volunteers and supporters to help the women who contact us. We are currently seeking the following volunteers. Please contact us if you are interested in one of these roles.

Hosts

We are looking for hosts who live within an easy commute of Richmond, Ealing, Streatham or Brixton. Have a spare room, pull out sofa, or air mattress and the desire to host a woman in need?

Event Planning

Host a film screening, help plan an ASN event, or create something of your own. For inspiration, check out our Fundraising Toolkit.

A few words from you

As ASN starts writing our second annual report, we wanted to ask you for some intel. If you have made a donation, what compelled you to choose ASN to support? If you are a host, what makes you host? Why are you involved with ASN? Let us know!

Pro Choice Rally 9 July

Several ASN volunteers will be attending the Pro Choice Rally on July 9 from 1.30 to 4.30 pm. The event will be held at Old Palace Yard, Parliament Square in London. If you are interested in attending or learning more, you can find the group on Facebook here. Hope to see you there!

Women we’ve helped

In June, ASN heard from 23 women, including several with extremely complicated and time-consuming situations. We are incredibly grateful to our donors, who provide us with the means to help these women when they call, and to our phone coordinators, who deal with each of these women with compassion and care. Women we heard from this month included:

A single woman in her 20s with a young child. In addition to flights and an initial consultation, she also had to pay for a new passport. After being refused an overdraft by her bank, she rang ASN for help.

A teenage year old student with no financial means who lives with her parents and is afraid to tell them of her pregnancy.

A married couple with two children had a wanted pregnancy become unwanted due to severe foetal abnormalities. As this woman also needed to obtain a Visa to travel, it took several weeks for her to travel for England. Despite having a number of supportive friends loan them money, the combined costs of travel, the procedure, and expedited visas was too much for them. Between a grant from ASN and reduction in fee from the clinic, we were able to help this family.

We were contacted by a mother of three. Both she and her husband are working but struggling to make ends meet. "I wish we were in a situation where we could keep this baby but the fact is we are not. I know some people say all a baby needs is love but that's not true - a baby also needs food, and a roof over its head and someone to pay the daycare while its parents are out earning the money to keep food on the table.”

A single mother in her 30s who sent this via email: I would really like to thank you for your help last week when i had to travel to [England]. You really helped me. The decision was hard enough but with all the costings delayed me even further and without your help at the last minute I wouldnt have been able to do what I felt was right at the time for me. Thank you so much. Words cannot describe how much you helped me and hopefully I can make a donation soon and give back something that may help other women in my situation.

We were contacted by the mother of a young teenage girl. Her mother has other children and supports them all with a part time job. In addition to the stress of facing a crisis pregnancy, she and her daughter were chased down the street outside the family planning clinic by protesters screaming “Murderer!” at them. We were able to help them to obtain a reduction in fee from the clinic and with a grant. They sent us a text to confirm that they got home safely after the procedure and to thank us.

A teenage student who was able to raise almost the entire amount for the abortion and her flights. ASN was able to give her the last £100.

We heard from a woman who has been living in a refuge since escaping from her abusive husband with no financial means. A number of medical complications, coupled with her extreme financial need, made it extremely difficult to arrange for this woman to come to England. Our extreme gratitude to our contact at bpas, who made sure that this woman was able to receive the care that she needed. Thanks also to Sally and Peter who donated £200 towards this patient’s care.

Email from a young woman: “I am about 6 weeks pregnant. It is a disaster. I can not afford to travel to England. No way I can. I can't have this baby. What will I do?”

Single mother of four with no income, no savings, and serious health issues. She was given a free procedure by one of the wonderful and amazing clinics we work with and ASN paid for flights for her and a companion as her health issues made it impossible for her to travel alone.

A separated mother of three who became pregnant while on birth control. "It's just f**king ridiculous, I'm not a criminal. I just can't have this baby. I'm [in my forties], I'm a grown woman and I should be able to make this decision for myself."

Mother of one whose partner left her for another woman shortly after she became pregnant.

ASN thanks these women and men for sharing their stories with us, and for permitting us to share them with you. We also thank the clinics, counsellors and other groups who ensure that these women receive the care they need.

ASN at NNAF

Two delegates from ASN had the pleasure of travelling to the annual National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF) conference in the US (Our thanks to NNAF for heavily subsidising our travels!) ASN is one of 104 abortion funds that is part of NNAF and we were proud and inspired to be with so many other people who are working to help women in desperate circumstance. They attended a number of workshops on topics ranging from best practices in intake and fundraising to a moving abortion speak out and an impromptu counter protest that occurred when we discovered a clinic protest a block from the hotel. ASN also won an award for volunteer recruitment! Way to go, ASN! We will be incorporating some of the valuable information we learned into making ASN the best organisation it can be.

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Thank you!!

Thank you again for all your support. Without you, we wouldn’t have been able to provide accommodation, financial assistance, and confidential, non-judgemental information to the women in difficult circumstances who have contacted us.

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

These have been a long time coming. Minor spoilers for Gotham City Sirens 24 only.
.
.
.
.
.Supergirl 65 was absolutely great. Really imaginative, inspired writing. I am really looking forward to the rest of this arc, at which point I shall re-read it and bask in it's loveliness again.

Young Justice 5 - This is really good fun. It's a smart, well put together comic for younger folk, but also easily enjoyable by us older folk. This was Wally's issue, and it seems that Art Baltazar and Franco really get him.

Flashpoint: Green Arrow Industries 1 - Why oh why is Ollie so much fun and enjoyable in this than in his own ongoing? If you're a Green Arrow fan I recommend you get this. He's cocky, arrogant, sleeping around, and a bit rubbish as a fighter. He's not that bright, but it's just perfect. Oh, and there are trick arrows. Just buy it already!

Wonder Woman 612: Better than some of the earlier issues. Although Aphrodite now appears to be a redhead. Either this is a colouring mistake by or the team have decided to ignore centuries of tradition. Gaaah. Anyway, in my recent clear out of comics, I elected to keep this Wonder Woman run. I think I do like it and it's definitely a keeper. But I am getting seriously fucked off with this comic within a comic shenanigans that DC is pulling.

Gotham City Sirens 24: Harley gets back with Joker and Ivy is pretty much unambiguously outed as queer. Awesomesauce!

Flashpoint Lois lane and the Resistance 1 - Stylised art that kinda reminded me of old Young Justice/Impulse comics. This series will be a cracker I reckon.

JLA 58 - Every time I look at the cover I wonder why I'm still getting this series. Inside it's better, but it's not going to be a groundbreaking memorable run.

Flashpoint Kid Flash Lost 1 - Yeah, this was also good. It was a 'setting stuff up' issue, with things happening. I know, right? Hey it's a Bart Allen mini, written by Sterling Gates. I'm gonna love it.

Action Comics 902 - More enjoyable than JLA, but still mostly just ok. The art is nice. But I'm mostly hanging onto this for the relaunch. There seems no point in cancelling now when it will all be shiny and new in two months.

Superman 712: A story told from the point of view of Krypto. Interrupting Grounded, this was much more enjoyable than Grounded. Rather sentimental, but in a good way.

Green Arrow 13 - Ah, now we are out of Brightest Day the artist changes and the story gets interesting! And of course now it will all change in two months. Graaah.

DC Presents Impulse - Collecting Impulse 50 to 53, this was a wonderful breath of fresh air, and I think everyone should buy it.

Sunday, July 03, 2011

The fun with this is more in the background to the story. It's an altenrative dream reality where the Joker rules. Lois is now his Empress. Batman is a dog. Superman is a dog. Supergirl is a cat. Superboy is Beppo the super-monkey!